A small, intimate, low-key drama from Woody Allen; though not as obviously experimental as, say, "Stardust Memories" or "Zelig", it is still a departure for him in the sense that the "action" is limited inside one house, and there aren't even any exterior shots. But the topics it deals with are pure Allen: love without response, family problems, aging, creative block, guilt, missed life opportunities, etc. Despite the talkiness and the extensive soul-searching in "September", it's not a particularly heavy or inaccessible movie; the characters are recognizable and human, and brought to life by a fine ensemble. After choosing an extremely pessimistic ending for "The Purple Rose Of Cairo" and an extremely optimistic one for "Hannah And Her Sisters", Allen takes the middle path this time: he concludes that life must go on, and people must try to find meaning and happiness, and maybe they will, or maybe they won't. If you're in the mood for it, "September" is a very involving film. *** out of 4.
Review of September
